Government accepts FF legislation on shared maternity leave

Fianna Fáil has welcomed the Government’s decision to accept the Parental Leave Bill 2013, presented in the Seanad by Senator Mary White.

The legislation proposes that the father of a new born child can share the 26 weeks of maternity leave.

Minister of State Kathleen Lynch commended the work of Senator White on the Bill and said the Government accepts the proposals in the legislation and it has been cleared for committee stage. The Minister also said the Government may incorporate the proposals into its own legislation coming before the Oireachtas.

Senator White commented: “This Bill is part of strategy from Fianna Fáil to promote women entrepreneurs in an effort to create jobs, as unemployment remains the single biggest problem facing the country with 300,000 people out of work. I was keen to emphasise in the Seanad today that encouraging entrepreneurs is extremely important and that the biggest untapped source of enterprise in Ireland is the 50 per cent of the population which are women.

“We have brought forward our proposals in a non-partisan way. This is not about politics. This is about families and about giving working families the best possible opportunity to be with their children in the crucial early months of their lives. I warmly welcome the fact that the Government has recognised the constructive nature with which we have approached this and Minister Lynch’s engagement on the issue .”\